UCS systems are known. Typically, such systems provide subscribers the ability to access multiple message formats at a single interface. For example, a subscriber may access electronic mail (email), facsimile messages, and telephonic messages (voice messages) at the subscriber's desktop computer or other similar device.
Typically, access to the messages is via the subscriber's communications platform. For example, the subscriber may access messages using Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook or other suitable messaging platform.
One drawback of some existing systems is that voice messages are often provided as an attached audible file to an email message. To access the attached audible file, the subscriber must open a separate, additional application that provides an audible file player. For example, a subscriber that receives a voice message in Microsoft Outlook must open Windows Media Player to access the attached audible file. Among other things, this may be inefficient and time consuming.
Another drawback of some existing systems is that they do not provide for simultaneous annotation of the voice message. In other words, most communications platforms do not provide a field in which a subscriber may input text while the audible message is playing back. Thus, a subscriber must alternate between listening to the voice message and entering notes. A related drawback with these systems is that any notes that are taken may be stored in a separate location or file from that of the voice message making retrieval of the both files more complicated.
Another drawback of some existing systems is that they do not provide for full text searching of the annotations associated with the voice messages. Thus, retrieval of a particular message can be time consuming and tedious.
Other drawback of existing systems also exist.